Volume 27, Issue 4
April 2017
Bob Bolf, President
As the end of term approaches, I suspect we’re all looking forward to the completion of the term and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with it. The upcoming summer term and summer break also signal the end of our current collective agreement (CA), which expires on September 30, 2017.
Many of you participated in our local demand setting meetings last February, as did faculty all across the province. The faculty union bargaining team and representatives from all the colleges have been hard at work compiling the areas where the CA needs improvement. Equally hard at work, has been the College Employer Council (CEC), the entity that oversees all the colleges in the province. Just as your faculty union is fighting for faculty rights, the CEC is fighting back, attempting to limit our rights.
Actual bargaining can start on July 2 and will progress throughout the summer and into September. Given the typical bargaining process of the CEC, nothing much will be accomplished until September 30 approaches.
This will be a critical round of bargaining. As with most employers, our employer will be asking for “take aways”. They will be attempting to further erode faculty rights and will, no doubt, be making last minute demands to put pressure on the bargaining team to cede some of the rights we now enjoy.
We will be sharing the College Faculty Negotiations Bulletins from the bargaining team as we get them. The intent of these bulletins is to provide you with background information and context setting for our demands. However, during negotiations, things can progress too rapidly to capture in print.
What can you do to support your rights as a faculty member, and those of your colleagues here at Humber and across the province?
First thing you can do is to go to your faculty union steward and tell them you would like to be kept informed on what transpires during negotiations. A list of stewards can be found on the second page of this issue, or on our website.
Second, I encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list (private secure non-Humber email address only) to receive timely information on bargaining. This is important as we anticipate Humber may put restrictions on our use of Outlook in communicating to you during negotiations. To subscribe, go to our website (www.opseu562.org) and scroll down to the bottom of the main page.
Third, bookmark www.opseu562.org and visit it periodically for updates. You can also follow us on Twitter (@CAATA_Local562) and Facebook (@OPSEULocal562).
Finally, you can join our union local by signing a membership card. Membership is free and comes with many advantages, including allowing you to have a voice during negotiations, and in the event of a strike, eligibility for strike benefits such as strike pay. Click “Join” on our website for an electronic membership application form.